In San Antonio, a 34-year-old Schertz, TX, resident waived
his arraignment, thus pleading not guilty to charge involving kidnapping and
child exploitation, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash and FBI Special Agent
in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division.
Yesterday, Kraig David Van Winkle filed a waiver of
arraignment with the Court. In response,
the Court filed an automatic plea of not guilty on behalf of the defendant to
charges contained in a federal grand jury indictment returned on February 5,
2020, namely one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in
criminal sexual activity and one count of interstate kidnapping of a minor.
According to court documents filed in this case, two weeks
after meeting a 13-year-old child online, Van Winkle allegedly left Schertz on
January 8, 2020, and traveled out of state to meet the child. He then kidnapped
and transported the child back to his residence in Schertz with the intent of
engaging in sexual activity. After the child was reported missing, tips from
the public lead authorities to Van Winkle.
FBI personnel arrested Van Winkle at his residence on
January 11, 2020, and rescued the child victim.
Upon conviction, Van Winkle faces up to 20 years in federal
prison for the kidnapping charge and a minimum of ten years to life
imprisonment for the transportation with intent to engage in sexual activity
charge. Van Winkle remains in federal
custody.
The San Antonio FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking
Task Force, which includes the San Antonio Police Department and the Bexar
County Sheriff’s Office, investigated this case with assistance from FBI Little
Rock and the Springdale Police Department in Springdale, Arkansas. Assistant
U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson is prosecuting this case on behalf of the
government.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely a
charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is
presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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